Kings and vagabonds

Thursday Doors: Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Perhaps there never was a monument more characteristic of an age and people than the Alhambra; a rugged fortress without, a voluptuous palace within; war frowning from its battlements; poetry breathing throughout the fairy architecture of its halls.

– Washington Irving, Tales of Alhambra

Nasrid Palaces.

Nasrid Palaces.

Thankfully, some places deserve all the praise they get and, despite your high expectations, don’t leave behind not even a slight taste of disappointment or regret. Alhambra was definitely the highlight of my trip to Andalusia. First, the visits of the wonder-full Nasrid palace, a long walk through the parks and the other edifices, then coffee and lunch with a unforgettable view, and lastly the towers. And silly me thought I didn’t need another reason to love Granada. (For all of those who plan to just visit the palaces and not the town itself, I’d recommend you to think twice and at least spend a night.)

This is a tiny fraction of photos I took there which says a lot, because I wasn’t taking plenty during the rest of the Spain trip. A lot of them are of the magnificent views of the town from various points (I’m saving the best for another post, though). But then, there are doors, and windows, and nooks, and walls, and ceilings, and … such beautiful decorations my dreamy self still didn’t get over them. If you look closely, you can recognize Arabic scriptures in there. Yes, words, as worship and a continuous reminder of God’s presence for those who walked the floors.

To imagine, again, that the whole place is a testament of region’s historical waves and cultural clashes … that at some point in time it was abandoned and the vagabonds and the homeless and the poor lived at the same spot where the old time rulers of long ago had looked down (literally) on its people … that what really attracted tourists here some time later, made it famous and must-see (at least partly of course) was a literary work (quoted above) … I don’t know, doesn’t it just make you appreciate it more?

Nasrid Palaces.

Nasrid Palaces.

Generalife.

Generalife.

I might come back some day …